PDA News

New Datwyler Site Showcases Flexible Manufacturing

by
Jahanvi (Janie) Miller, PDA | Feb 25, 2019

Innovation in the pharma industry comes in the form of new drug products and novel manufacturing/production techniques. Both must
be held to the highest standards of safety and quality. Various innovations are leading to facilities designed to meet these high standards.

In late September, I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of packaging supplier Datwyler’s facility in Middletown, Del. The
design of this facility mirrors that of their sites in Belgium and India and showcases the company’s philosophy of reducing risk to products
through innovative design.

Datwyler manufactures components for drug packaging at this facility using their “First Line” manufacturing processes. Intended to
achieve zero defects relating to their products, this facility minimizes potential risks from human error [Editor’s Note: For more on
“zero” defects, see the infographic]. The plant was configured with future needs and changing environments in mind. Their
fluoropolymer spray-coating technology reduces the chance of defects from silicone particulates and automated technologies reduce
operator interventions. The lean design of the facility allows full visibility of all manufacturing processes from walk-through corridors,
giving visitors the opportunity to view all aspects of production.

I truly enjoyed seeing this new design in operation. As PDA strives to identify best practices in manufacturing science, we look forward
to new technologies that achieve higher levels of patient safety. I can tell you from my experience that manufacturers and suppliers are
rising to the challenge of anticipating new technologies and meeting the requirements set forth by regulators.